Iowa leaps into Top 10 in 2020 recruiting rankings

Iowa’s early work on the recruiting trail for the 2020 class is already paying off.

Thanks to major efforts from Kirk Ferentz and his staff, the Hawkeyes have locked up eight verbal commitments in the 2020 class, two of which are four-star prospects. Those pledges have put Iowa in a really good spot in the recruiting rankings in mid-March.

Per 247Sports’ 2020 rankings, Iowa currently sits with the No. 10 class nationally and the third-best class in the B1G. The Hawkeyes are behind only Ohio State (fifth nationally) and Michigan (ninth nationally) in the conference.

Not a bad spot for a program that is usually around the No. 40 spot when it comes to recruiting rankings.

Obviously it’s extremely early in the process and the rankings will see hundreds of changes until the Early Signing Period and National Signing Day next winter. But cracking the top 10 is a significant accomplishment, even if it’s nine months away from when players are signing on the dotted line.

The biggest names currently committed to Iowa are four-star defensive tackle Logan Jones and four-star pro-style quarterback Deuce Hogan. Both players could step into major roles early in their careers with the Hawkeyes.

As usual, Iowa has also recruited its home state well, with four of the eight pledges hailing for the Hawkeye state.

Ferentz and his staff aren’t typically known for raking in several elite-level players out of high school or owning top 25 recruiting classes on a regular basis. It’s the program’s ability to develop two-star, three-star and walk-on prospects into potential NFL players that has been the lifeblood of Iowa football for the past 20 years. But throwing in some highly-touted recruits never hurts, either.

Iowa’s 2019 recruiting class ranked 40th nationally and ninth in the B1G. And just because the Hawkeyes are off to a hot start on the trail right now doesn’t mean it will last. But this is a good thing for Ferentz and his staff.

It’s worth keeping an eye on how well this class develops and whether or not Iowa can assemble one of the better recruiting classes in the B1G this cycle.

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB